


I'll Be Your Superhero

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Anti-Ward, Cuddles, F/M, Healing Kisses, Injury, Sexy Times, Shoutout to comic book Quake, Superpowers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 22:36:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3226016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ward forces Skye to use a trick that she never wants to use. Skye doesn't want to waste any more time with Coulson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Be Your Superhero

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is definitely not pro-Ward. Also, definitely NSFW because given enough time and opportunity, Coulson+Skye = sex. The "trick" that Skye does is something that I read Quake could do in the comics. I imagined that it could be a very useful part of her powers, but something that Skye always has particular moral trouble with.

She ran down the hall, willing herself not to panic. It wouldn't do any of them any good if she brought the base down on their heads.

 

"Coulson!" She yelled, pushing away flashes of memory, swallowing bile that rose in her throat. Funny what one little nightmare could do to a person.

 

She was about to call out again, when she heard a crash and a grunt of pain. _There_. One of the common rooms; the Koenig's had wanted visiting agents to have some space of their own away from "The Dream Team", as Sam loved to call Coulson's original team.

 

She burst through the door.

 

"Skye - !"

 

"Stop right there, Skye."

 

She froze immediately, ice flooding her veins as Ward's calm tone carried easily over Coulson's choked warning.

 

She took in their appearances in a quick glance. Coulson looked worse for wear, definitely, but Ward looked like he'd been put through the ringer. His nose had most definitely been broken, and one eye was swollen halfway closed, already bruising a dark purple. There was a large, deep gash across his cheek as well, but Coulson's body blocked any other injuries from her view. Blood covered both of their faces, and from the way Coulson was slouching in Ward's loose chokehold, he probably had some broken bones.

 

She thought he had looked bad after what her _father_ had done to him.

 

She stared, wide-eyed, her fingers curling tightly into fists at her sides.

 

"I really didn't want you to have to see this," Ward sighed sadly, turning his head slightly to look at Coulson, who kept his eyes on Skye's. She could tell Coulson was silently trying to urge her to leave the room, but no way in hell was she going to do that. "I know how much you care about him. I'm sorry, Skye."

 

She grimaced at Ward's apologetic tone, and stepped forward when he tightened his hold around Coulson's neck. Coulson looked far too exhausted to fight much harder anymore.

 

"Don't, Ward." Skye ordered, and Ward smiled and shook his head.

 

"You'll forgive me one day, I promise." He said consolingly. He positioned his hands in a way that Skye knew would break Coulson's neck. "Just wait until you discover what I have planned for us, Skye," Ward told her, excited, "It will be so much better than anything Coulson could do for you, anything _SHIELD_ could do for you." He sneered a little. "You have no idea how _strong_ you can be,"

 

" _Don't make me do this, Ward_." Skye said through clenched teeth, looking him straight in the eye. She was serious - she had stopped playing his games a long time ago. Something flashed in his eyes, something dark and terrifying, and his fingers twitched around Coulson's neck.

 

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have shot me in the head and not my side." He said, calm once more. Coulson's brow furrowed, and Ward glanced between the two with a smirk on his face. "Oh, did she forget to tell you?" He said to Coulson, "How she shot me and left me to bleed out?"

 

"Obviously my plan failed, there." Skye growled, glaring at him. Ward smiled widely.

 

"You're a killer, Skye. Just like me."

 

Coulson struggled but Ward quickly jabbed a fist into his already wounded side, making him gasp for air.

 

"I am _nothing_ like you," Skye told him, widening her stance a little. "I'm a _protector_."

 

"A protector." Ward repeated dubiously, mocking her. She gave a short nod, her lips pressed together grimly. "So murdering to keep the ones you love safe - that's excusable? That's what _I'm_ doing Skye; I'm keeping _you safe._ "

 

"If you call kidnapping me at gunpoint, taking me into the middle of a Hydra lair, and leaving me with my violent and unstable father, _keeping me safe_ \- you need to take a look at a dictionary!"

 

"Every choice I make is for you!" He argued, getting irritated.

 

"You tried to kill my _friends_!" Skye cried, gesturing her hand toward Coulson. "You're about to do so _right now_!" And just as quickly, Ward's calm facade returned.

 

"This is different. He is an obstacle between us that needs to be permanently removed."

 

"If you hurt him any more in any way, I _will_ retaliate." Skye warned him.

 

"I'm not going to fight you, Skye." Ward said, laughing, as if that idea were ridiculous. She narrowed her eyes at him.

 

"You're asking to."

 

"I don't want to hurt you,"

 

" _Everything you do hurts me_." Skye insisted, incredulous. "Every choice you make is for _yourself_. You are trying to fulfill an insane delusion and you don't care what happens in the process! _Raina was mocking you_ , Ward. It's not _love_. It never has been! She's put ideas in your mind and has used you and has made you believe that my little crush on you was anything more. It _wasn't_."

 

"You kissed me!" Ward argued, and Coulson managed to look grossed out, even in his own horrible condition. Skye did not think this was the time for him to be humorous.

 

"I thought we were going to die! That wasn't a declaration of love! And maybe that wasn't right of me, but I was young and you were a handsome man about to die for something _better_. I _admired_ that. But it was never anything _more_ than that. And now... Knowing _that_ Grant Ward had been a lie? There's no way in hell." She frowned deeply, her fists clenched again.

 

"Well." Ward looked at Coulson for a long moment, and then back up to Skye. "If you aren't going to come with me... I'll just have to make sure you have nothing else to go to."

 

" _What_?" Skye truly couldn't understand how twisted his mind was. She didn't get her whole question out though, before Ward jabbed his fist into Coulson's side again, making the older agent cry out.

 

"I was just going to break his neck but I think I'd rather like you to watch," Ward's calm tone was now sinister, and he threw Coulson to the ground.

 

"Ward!" Skye took a step closer, and suddenly Ward had a gun in his hand. He knew better than to point it at her, though.

 

"One more step and his right kneecap goes first."

 

"Please don't make me do this," Skye begged. Ward smirked.

 

"Think you can get the gun from me before I pull the trigger?" He pulled the hammer back. "Why don't we try?"

 

" _Ward_ ," Skye warned, and Ward opened his mouth to retort, and leaned his head to the side a little, wincing.

 

"Ah, what..." He shook his head, looking a little confused. He winced again, the gun drifting toward the floor, and he glanced at Skye. "What are you doing?"

 

"I _asked you_." Skye whispered remorsefully, " _I asked you to stop._ " A few tears slipped down her face as the gun clattered to the floor and Ward collapsed to his knees.

 

"What... Ah!" He grabbed his head, and Skye hurried toward Coulson.

 

"Come on, Coulson. Come on." She said quickly, grasping at his shoulders, helping him up. Ward reached out toward them but didn't get near, too disoriented to make his body respond correctly.

 

"Skye," Coulson whispered, his throat raw, leaning heavily against her. He was bleeding all over her. They stumbled, and Ward reached out again, swinging a fist. As if drunk, he fell onto his elbow, holding his head with the hand he'd attempted to grab her with.

 

She tried to block out his pained yells with Coulson's voice on her shoulder, saying her name over and over again, and they stumbled their way out of the room.

 

\-----

 

"What happened to him?" Coulson asked, his voice a little rougher than usual. He had bandages on his forehead, lower arm, and abdomen, and multiple bruises on his face and neck.

 

May had ordered him to keep from sight from the rest of the organization, and had helped Skye get him to his office. Simmons met them there to doctor him up, and May had disappeared after saying something about getting him some food. He'd blacked out not long after they had carefully laid him out on an empty spot on the floor.

 

He hadn't seen Skye since he'd come back to consciousness, which was apparently a couple of hours after he'd lost it.

 

Simmons hesitated to answer his question, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

 

"Agent Simmons," He said in his Director's voice, and she sighed.

 

"His... Brain. Hemorrhaged. He's... Dead." Simmons sounded a little relieved, and then winced. "I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't - "

 

"Hemorrhaged." Coulson repeated quietly, looking at the empty desk at the side of the room, the desk that had unofficially become Skye's. Simmons nodded, busying herself with cleaning up her medical equipment.

 

"I'll be back to check on the bandages again in the morning. Let me know if you experience any more breathing difficulties." She slipped quietly out of the room.

 

Coulson sighed heavily, carefully sitting against the edge of his desk.

 

He didn't think much time had gone by when his door opened again, but then again he wasn't a good judge of passage of time at the moment.

 

"Skye," He said softly, with some surprise. She entered looking worried, and when her eyes rose to meet his she looked horrified and apologetic. She rushed toward him, fingertips briefly touching his arm and his forehead.

 

"I'm so sorry, I didn't - !"

 

"Skye, please," Coulson tried to interject softly.

 

"He just - it was like - my father, and I couldn't... I let you get beat up once and I couldn't..." She was panicking, her fingers ghosting over his chest, his ribs, brushing against the purple marks on his neck.

 

"Skye." He said a little more firmly, wishing his undershirt had a higher collar to hide at least some of the bruises, grasping her hands gently in his own. Tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her face.

 

"My dad and then Ward and I couldn't," She whimpered, and he tugged her against him, grateful that he was already leaning against something for support. "There was so much blood," she said into his neck. His hands rested lightly on her waist, and he wished he were well enough to hold her like he wanted to.

 

"You saved my life," he reminded her.

 

"I had to. I _had_ to. He gave me no choice..." She shook, and he gripped his fingers more firmly around her.

 

She cried for a while, standing limply in his arms with her head tucked against his shoulder. He could offer no platitudes to her, knowing that they would be meaningless. Her fingers clenched the hem of his tee, bunching the fabric but putting no pressure on his injuries.

 

"Thank you," He whispered into her hair. "Thank you."

 

She sniffed, taking in a few deep breaths, willing her body to relax. The tears subsided, and she let out a shaky sigh. Coulson carefully raised his arm to brush his fingers through her hair.

 

"Oh, AC," She said mournfully, pulling back just enough to look at him, touching her fingers against the bruises on his neck again. He smirked a little.

 

"It's - " He stopped when she leaned into him again, this time brushing her lips across his skin. "Skye?" He breathed, wondering if he'd imagined that. Her mouth touched his neck again, feather-light just underneath his jaw. She shifted and kissed his Adam's apple, and he swallowed. She placed her hands carefully on either side of his face, looking him in the eye for a long moment. She pulled a little, so he would lower his head, rising up on her toes to kiss his forehead, then the tip of his nose, his left cheekbone.

 

When she slid her hands to his shoulders, she saw that his eyes had drifted closed. She pressed her lips against his collarbone, and then the fabric of his shirt over his shoulder, the left side of his chest, and carefully over the bandages wrapped around his ribs. His hands trembled at her waist where they still lay, and she straightened again to see his face.

 

His eyes were still closed, but a desperate look was on his face. Watching him carefully, she felt for the hem of his shirt and tugged it upward slowly. His eyes opened, and he looked at her softly for a moment before lifting his arms as much as he could so she could pull it off of him. She tried to be careful with his bandages, but caught his slight wince and, dropping the shirt to the floor, pressed a kiss against the bare skin just above the wrappings around his torso.

 

He sucked in a breath, his fingers gripping her waist tighter.

 

"Skye," He whispered.

 

"I won't let anyone hurt you like this ever again." She promised fiercely, and his gaze was full of emotion.

 

" _Skye_ ," He sounded touched, but also as if her idea was a bit ridiculous, and she gave him a firm, serious look.

 

"I'm a protector, Coulson. I didn't want these powers but I have them anyway. I'm going to use them to protect the people I love." She placed her palm on his chest, thumb brushing his scar. She leaned in and kissed it, too. When she looked back at him, he had tears in his eyes.

 

"Skye," He said meaningfully, as if he were letting something loose, and she quirked her eyebrow at him.

 

"Is my name the only word left in your vocabulary?" She teased with a watery chuckle, and he gave her a small smile. After a quiet moment he said innocently,

 

"You know, he punched me in the mouth, too," and Skye squinted at him, her smile slowly growing.

 

"Alright, Indiana Jones," She replied dryly, her hand slipping away as she took a half step out of his space. His hands lowered to her hips, but he didn't let go of her.

 

"I'm honored to have you as my protector," Coulson said quietly, his joking tone gone, looking at her softly.

 

They were standing like that, just looking at one another, when May walked in.

 

"Guess I should have brought enough for two." She commented, setting a tray down on the other desk.

 

Skye didn't say anything in response, but stepped away from Coulson and almost shyly tucked her hair behind her ear. He moved away from the edge of his desk and tucked his hands in his pockets.

 

"I have Hunter and Mack taking care of burying the body." May told them, her tone carefully neutral. Skye bit her lip slightly, and May caught it. "Don't feel bad for killing a murderer, Skye. You stopped him from killing other people."

 

"He was so convinced of himself," Skye murmured, "it's just sad, really." There was a moment of silence. "Do you think it _was_ Garrett's fault, or was his mind always that twisted?" Skye wondered, looking at Coulson again.

 

"Well, by my conversation with Christian," Coulson spoke carefully, "Ward had always been very manipulative. But I know Christian had his ulterior motives, as well. Honestly, it's hard to tell." He let out a heavy sigh. "It seemed to be a family trait."

 

"And Ward still made his own decisions. Particularly after Garrett died; Ward was free to do as he chose." May reminded her, and she nodded slowly.

 

"From what Whitehall said to him, he'd never been brainwashed like Donnie or Agent 33. Everything after Garrett's death was his own delusional thinking..." Skye shook her head. "He was a good agent, when he was one."

 

"Other than his people skills." Coulson said dryly, and May's lip twitched.

 

"Eat, Coulson. I'll be back in an hour or so to clean up." May said, her eyes flitting down to where his undershirt lay on the floor, and he frowned slightly.

 

"I don't need a maid service." He complained. May smirked at him.

 

"And you won't be getting one any time soon, either." She paused by the door. "If you'd like to be tucked in, I'm sure Skye wouldn't mind."

 

Skye looked toward May quickly, wide eyed, and May smirked. Coulson narrowed his eyes, and May simply raised her eyebrows at him and left the office, closing the door behind her. There was a long silence, until Coulson finally broke it.

 

"I won't be able to eat all of that anyway. I'm not very hungry right now...just tired. You can have some of it." Coulson gestured toward the tray, and Skye shrugged a little.

 

"You first." She said, moving another chair to that desk. They sat next to one another, and she watched him pick around the tray before finally deciding to pick up the cup of soup.

 

"Take the sandwich," He murmured, and they ate together in silence.

 

\-----

 

Much to Coulson's amusement, Skye did follow him to his quarters and helped him pull a sleep shirt on.

 

"Thought you weren't gonna tuck me in?" He mused, and Skye rolled her eyes.

 

"Well I couldn't make May a liar, could I?" She muttered. "I'd be feeling it during training tomorrow morning." Coulson chuckled, then winced.

 

"Is there any medication you need to take?" Skye asked, and he nodded.

 

"I left it in my office," He began, but she gently pushed at his shoulders so he sat on the edge of his bed.

 

"I'll get it," She told him, and three minutes later she was back in the room with the pill bottle and a glass of water in her hands. "Here you go. Just one, right?" He nodded and she shook one out into her palm. He was looking at her as he carefully took it from her and swallowed it, drinking the entire glass of water.

 

"Thank you," He said sincerely. "I don't need a _nurse_ maid either though, you know."

 

"Good thing I'm not one." Skye quipped, putting the glass on the nightstand and pulling down the duvet. "Now get in. You need to rest."

 

"I never go to bed this early." Coulson told her, his feet still planted on the floor. She raised her eyebrow at him, and they stared one another down for a few moments until he finally sighed and gingerly swung his feet up and under the covers.

 

"All right then, Director," Skye said, as if she were talking to a child, "lights out." He smirked, managing to look haughty as she pulled the duvet up to his shoulders. She smoothed it down and laid her hand over his chest for a moment. She leaned over and rested a long, gentle kiss on his forehead, brushing her other hand across his hair.

 

When she pulled back the look in his eyes was full of emotion she couldn't quite describe, and before she could completely pull away from him he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and said quietly,

 

"Stay."

 

She didn't have to pause to think about that decision.

 

\-----

 

She wasn't making much noise, but he wasn't used to sharing his bed with someone, and he awoke quickly. She was crying fitfully, her face screwed up as if she were in pain. He carefully rolled over onto his side to face her, holding a hand out over her shoulder.

 

"Skye?" He whispered, not wanting to scare her. He rested his hand gingerly on her shoulder, and found she was shaking. "Skye," He said more firmly. She whimpered, kicking her foot out. He winced when it jarred his body, and realized that the bed was shaking as well. " _Skye_." He sat up, groaning at the pain in his ribs.

 

She cried out, though still not very loudly, and her eyes opened. She held her breath and her eyes darted around quickly - she couldn't recognize where she was.

 

"Skye?" Coulson said carefully, and she jerked her gaze toward him.

 

She looked terrified. They reached for one another at the same time, and as soon as he drew her into his lap, her head pressed against his thigh as her arms wrapped around him, the shaking stopped. She cried against him, and he ran his fingers through her hair until she eventually calmed down.

 

"I'm sorry," She whispered, sounding ashamed, and he shook his head. He grasped her hand to lift it to his lips, softly kissing her palm.

 

"Don't be," he assured her, "don't ever be sorry for feeling emotion, Skye. Emotions are a part of what makes us human."

 

"Partly human, anyway." She replied darkly, and his arm tightened around her. They shifted so that he was leaning back against his pillows, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

 

"It's okay." He told her. He waited a beat and then asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

 

She was silent for so long, he started to figure she wasn't going to speak.

 

"Dad was beating you up again, and Ward was holding me back so I couldn't do anything. He made me watch as my dad beat you to death." Her tone was flat, still haunted by the images of the nightmare, and he brushed his fingers consolingly along her arm.

 

"Your dad and I are getting along a little better now, though." Coulson reminded her, and she nodded against him.

 

"Only because he finally realized that you aren't trying to replace him," Skye said dryly, and Coulson's hand stilled on her arm.

 

"What would he say if he knew I had you in my bed?" He wondered, laughter in his voice, and she knew that he was just saying that to get her to smile. It worked, of course.

 

"Well, if you put it _that_ way, he'd probably rip your head off." Skye rolled her eyes, smiling a little but still nibbling on her lip with worry.

 

"Ward will never be able to hurt you again, Skye." Coulson promised her softly, and she wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him close.

 

"I know." She whispered.

 

".... So your nightmares involve me dying?" He wondered, and she lifted her head to look at him. It put their faces so close to one another, they could feel one another's breath, but neither of them were uncomfortable.

 

"Coulson, if you died... I couldn't... It would be the worst thing to happen to me." She told him seriously. He looked a little wary.

 

"Skye, a _lot_ of bad things have happened to you. I shouldn't be - "

 

"Come on, AC," Skye said softly, chidingly. He trailed off, and just looked at her. He reached up and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, curving a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

"I couldn't bear it if I lost you, either." He admitted. She smiled hesitantly, sitting up a little to rest her hand on the bed beside him, holding her body partially over his so she wasn't pressing against his injuries. He swallowed as he rested his head back, his eyes darting to her lips. She stayed like that for a moment, just looking at him, and he couldn't help but lick his own lips in anticipation.

 

When she was certain he wasn't going to be against the idea, she leaned down and kissed him, softly. They breathed together for a few moments and then she moved her lips over his, focusing on his bottom lip. He closed his eyes and moaned a little, one hand sliding up into her hair and the other sliding down to her hip.

 

They kissed for a long time, trading dominance, familiarizing with one another. When his tongue slid across hers firmly, her hips pressed into his almost automatically. They both moaned, and he had to break away from her kiss to gasp when she rolled her hips again, her heat pressing right into his erection.

 

"Skye," he breathed quickly, both hands on her hips as she now straddled him, nipping along his neck. "I can't - I don't think I'm strong enough,"

 

"Am I hurting you?" She immediately stopped, lifting herself off of him, worried, and he almost groaned aloud at the loss of her warmth against him.

 

"No, no, I just... You'll be doing all the work if we continue this." He admitted, and she sat back on his thighs and tucked her hair behind her ears, gauging his expression.

 

"Does that bother you?" She asked, her eyes looking slowly down his body and back up to his eyes. He swallowed and watched as her fingers played along the top of his hips.

 

" _No_ it doesn't," he assured her breathlessly, and she quirked her eyebrow slightly.

 

"Do you... _Prefer_ this way?" She wondered. She usually preferred to be bottom, but with Coulson, she actually felt rather comfortable on top.

 

"With you I would prefer _any_ way," He said, and she knew he was being sincere.

 

"Oh, AC," She sighed lovingly, smiling, leaning down to kiss him again. She braced herself with her palms planted to either side of him so most of her weight was against his hips and off of his torso, and wiggled a little as if to make herself comfortable.

 

"Mmf," He mumbled against her mouth, his hands sliding beneath her shirt. She moved her hips in a circular motion and he pushed up a little against her.

 

"Careful," She whispered when he grunted in pain, and she sat up and pulled off her shirt.

 

"Skye," He sighed, reaching up to cup her bare breasts. His thumbs brushed across her nipples, and she closed her eyes and hummed with appreciation. "Your entire being is so beautiful," He whispered, and she leaned down to kiss him again, her breasts brushing against the fabric of his shirt.

 

"You're wearing too many clothes," She whispered, kissing his neck before moving down the bed, pulling at the waistband of his flannel pants. His breath hitched when he watched her hesitate over the obvious bulge in his boxer briefs. Her eyes darted up to his in almost a coy manner, and she traced her finger along the outline of him, causing him to cry out.

 

"Fuck!" He gasped, and she raised her eyebrow at him.

 

"I should have pegged you to be a dirty talker in bed," She mused, and he licked his lips and swallowed as she continued to hover her hand around his erection, not quite touching him.

 

"Well, when you do something like that," He sounded indignant and breathless, and she smirked at him.

 

"Stuff like... This?" She rubbed her palm over him, using the fabric of his briefs to her advantage, and he dropped his head back and groaned.

 

"Skyyyye," He complained, and then she squeezed his shaft, beginning to massage him through his underwear. "Ah - _ohhhh_ yes, like that," he whispered, a look of complete serenity on his face. She continued to work him slowly, until he started trying to move his hips to make her go faster. "Please," He murmured, his eyes still closed, and she pulled her hand away from him. He opened his eyes and frowned when she disappeared from above him.

 

He moved his hands and was almost about to continue what she had been doing, when she slapped his hand away lightly and climbed back over him. She was completely naked now, and he couldn't say anything as his mouth had gone dry.

 

"Hey, I thought I was the one supposed to be doing the work, here?" She teased him, and grinned as she pulled his briefs off and dropped them off the side of the bed. She didn't hesitate before carefully taking him in her hand, sliding her fist all the way up and then all the way back down to the base.

 

He groaned loudly.

 

"You're pretty beautiful yourself," She told him, her voice teasing but her eyes sincere.

 

His hands returned to her waist as she carefully eased herself down over him, slowly taking him in and not stopping until he was fully within her.

 

" _Fuck_ , Skye," Coulson breathed.

 

"Yeah," Skye managed to say, looking a bit surprised herself.

 

"Okay?" He asked, although he felt like he was going to lose it at any moment.

 

"Yes," Skye said carefully, and then shifted her weight against him. "Oh. _Yes_."

 

"Skye," Coulson choked out, knowing he was on the brink, and she nodded.

 

"Can you -?" She took his hand and moved it toward where they were joined, and he nodded quickly, rubbing his thumb in a circular motion against her clit.

 

Very quickly after that they were calling out each other's names, his hips moving with hers as they came, even though his sore muscles were complaining, they continued moving together until they were both completely spent.

 

\-----

 

She played her fingers through his hair, her head on his shoulder and one leg curved across his. The front of her body was pressed comfortably against his side, and his arm was carefully wrapped around her so his hand rested on the curve of her hip.

 

"Next time, you'll be the loudest." Coulson told her, and she chuckled lightly.

 

"We'll see." She said dubiously.

 

\-----


End file.
